An increase in the US Syphilis rate for the 7^th year in a row is largely driven by new cases among gay, bisexual men, as recently reported by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The preliminary 2007 syphilis data to come from the Federal study demonstrate a 16 percent increase between 2006 and 2007 in the national rate of primary and secondary syphilis (the most infectious stages of the disease) from 3.2 to 3.7 cases per 100,000 population.

"The syphilis rate among men increased 14 percent from 2006. It was six times higher than the rate among women. Men who have sex with men comprised approximately 64 percent of reported syphilis cases in 2007,"

Continuing a disturbing trend from previous years, this overall increase was driven by continued increases among males (from 5.7 per 100,000 in 2006 to 6.4 per 100,000 in 2007). Several sources of data indicate that substantial increases in syphilis among men who have sex with men (MSM) since 2000 accounted for the majority of syphilis cases in the United States and contributed significantly to the overall increase in the disease among men.

Dr. Hillard Weinstock, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of STD Prevention, spoke of these results during the CDC-sponsored 2008 National STD Prevention Conference in Chicago.

"The syphilis rate among men increased 14 percent from 2006. It was six times higher than the rate among women. Men who have sex with men comprised approximately 64 percent of reported syphilis cases in 2007," he said.

The increase in the syphilis rates among gay and bisexual men is a significant health concern as Syphilis, like other STDs, can increase the likelihood of HIV transmission two- to five-fold. For individuals already infected with HIV, syphilis can increase viral load, which can accelerate HIV disease progression and the potential for HIV transmission.

The CDC recommends that gay and bisexual men be tested for syphilis and other STDs at least once a year. The CDC is working with doctors and other public health officials to promote recommendations for STD and HIV testing. The CDC is also looking to increase STD testing in places other than doctors' offices, such as bathhouses and other settings where gay and bisexual men meet.

The bacterium Treponema pallidum is passed from person to person through direct contact with a syphilis sore, with sores mainly occurring on the external genitals, vagina, anus, or in the rectum, according to the CDC.

Early stages of infection are easily cured with the antibiotic penicillin. Late stages of the disease can develop in about 15 percent of people who have not been treated. Untreated syphilis can eventually damage internal organs, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. The damage can be serious enough to cause death, according to the CDC.

Tags: Syphilis